Dragon Mike

Some are assuming I paid several thousand for the twenty cent pieces that's not the case. if in a ngc holder ms 65 what ever the coin is if pgcs guide is an amount for grade 65 I will only bid up to au 50 guide price the only way I am at any loss would be if it is a fake that is my question now got advise weighing it measure diameter have not don't did not think it was fake again I don't touch or hold coins in my hands I am a full time mechanic all my pics are off of auction sites or ngc own pictures for there  graded coins they take when encapsulating them 

On 10/17/2023 at 12:03 PM, The Neophyte Numismatist said:

@Dragon Mike Welcome to the forum, and to the hobby.  The advice you have above is good.  I am going to add a few from a neophyte prospective:

1. Start Small - diving into raw 20c pieces is going to be challenging until you really "build your eye" looking at lots of coins in the grades you want to collect.  The coins are simply too expensive for any rational person to make mistakes without hard feelings (unless money is just no object to you).  Buy the book, buy a graded example and train your eye for the quality in the grade you seek.  But, you may want to start with another series.  I read your mentioning of collecting Wedged Tail (and I assume you mean the bullion pieces).  Collecting these is certainly fine - because I believe that you should collect whatever you love to collect.  The only "watch out" is that you will almost always see these in "perfect" MS69 condition.  So it will be harder to train your eye to see what AU55 looks like (if that's the intended grade for your more expensive pursuit).
2. Find a GOOD Dealer - This will be controversial, as some just don't trust any dealer, and finding a good one can be tough.  Starting local is always best.  A good dealer will teach you.  BUT - you have to study too, and ask good questions.  A good dealer will respect your commitment to the hobby, and will value you as a customer.  A good dealer will show you several of the same coin and allow you to see different quality (even at the same grade).  A good dealer does more than "sell coins".  Shows are a great place to meet a lot of dealers and get a lot of inventory in your hands (there is no substitute for coins in your hands - and I cannot over emphasize this).  At the local coin shop (LCS), your dealers may have more time to chat at teach, but you must also be sensitive to their time. Find your balance.
3. Find a club - Having a group of like minded people in a room is just plain fun.  And, unlike dealers who may be stingy with their time...club members won't stop chatting - they love it as much as you do.  It's a lot of fun, and you will learn a lot, too.  If you find a coin you love, see if there is a club for that specialty... do they have a publication, website of journals, access to specialty books (lots to explore)?
4. Have a goal - I am not saying you can't collect coins without a goal; buying random pretty things as you go.  You can.  But, there is a lot of history and nuance that will likely be missed.  Admittedly, I am an advocate for specialization.  However, one can still be a generalist and gain a depth of knowledge over a wide variety of subjects (just depends on how much you study)
5. Set a budget - I call this out because there are BIG swings between prices of coins depending on the grade.  Little mistakes add up to large dollars.  Having a budget is necessary in the beginning to help to curb those mistakes.  But, always keep a budget - even as your skills improve.  If you are going to go after a series, calculate the price of the whole series before you even start.  Then add 20% - because you will have to stretch to buy your tougher ones, or prices might go up as you are building.  Just know that your budget on it's face is likely under-clubbing.  This exercise will help you to determine a grade, or even select a series (There is a reason I do not collect $4 proofs).  In the end, I think you will be happier and not feel like you are about to tie the coins to your ankles and drown yourself.  

You can do this, but to get the most out of this hobby you need to start with #1... Otherwise, you have coins strapped to your ankles, and you are "man overboard" (nobody wants that).

Neo.

Thanks for the sound advise problem is I  alreadt own all the twenty cent pieces except the 1877 proof tried to buy a ngc certified one at same auction as alot of other coins I have recently bought from went for more than o could afford not rich by any means .I have two of the 1878 proofs the 61 pictured above and a 63 I did not start this to have a spot free coin series I got hooked the night I remembered the  1925 stone mountain I found in the dirt when I was a child just learned how to search with a computer looked found and purchased it seeing all the others grew my interest purchased several morgans thought I was doing right several raw  2 - 5 ngc coins bought way under red book value thought I hit a jack pot took to a dealer on east cost to learn from he  ended up saying the coin was fake or been reslabbed with fake coin e bay buy at the time and I could of been the one doing so he really offended me  then a customer followed me outside made a offer for the 1925 stone mountain I had bought first his offer was 30 dollars more than I paid that was the last coin I ever sold did not intend to buy sell by then  found out about alot of coins I never knew existed series set all different mints reason why there was such a difference between 1893 morgan and 1893s morgan I wanted to find one set the twenty cent seemed the least amount of coins to build my 2020 1,2,5,10 oz wedge tails are reverse proofs mercanti signed 70 fdoi the kilo wedge tail  eagle is reverse proof  70  fdoi mercanti signed also 188. In that grade paid more for that then all my twenty cent pieces to afraid to show it probably be told it is also fake haha your advise is appreciated and listened to but I may be past that point just don't see how these fakes are being auctioned and no recourse to get fakes gone if I buy 1 ooooh well ten twenty fifty I dont want fake but I can not stand toe to toe with the great collection auctions clients ther pockets are deep I know my place yes not rich and a bad education does not mean people like me should  be taken advantage of someone knows they are selling fakes if they sell enough times they know someone will put them in a case and hide for future but they sell customer checks sends back they resell making a commission every time until someone puts them in a bank vault I have paid to keep trash counterfeits in a vault grading is my only way to have piece of mind you also missed the part when I said no can't do that I would loose a good boat the boat is a real boat.Put one period for the punctuations man.  Thanks Mike

Not e bay purchase auction house sells 2700 coins a week end got coins pictured with there listing and description of said coins even with that no proof I bought that coin at that auction still get graded to determine if ripped off by counterfeit  all I know is I don't clean touch with  my hands don't remove them from the package they were sent in just put them in air tight case for raw coins keep in vault so spend more find out counterfeit what is  the recourse   from there starting to sound safer to stuff a mattress   with dollars at a homeless camp would be safer

If  the coin is counterfeit I need to grade to tell if it is then I would know not  offer to resell and if I pass counterfeits I am breaking the law why is it legal for auction sites to sell to me  counterfeits with no recourse of action seems like every coin I have shown not real  was looking to pass some history to my grandson wishing I would of not found first stone mountain pass the counterfeits to the how many auctions has this coin been sold at how many knew it was counterfeit not fair

No need to worry about the wedge tail eagles they are probly fake as well 

On 10/15/2023 at 10:16 PM, Dragon Mike said:

Pics of 1878 twenty cents looks beat to to me also

Another one of my coins looks worse than 1875 to me when buying on line how to be sure what can I trust

Pics of 1878 twenty cents looks beat to to me also

I don't know if you would see all the scratches under the toning and is this coin a natural tone or a  manufactured toned coin to hide scratches

Read it in 2007 when I started collecting searched for stone mnt  as I had found on ground as kid purchase one after that I bought hundreds of coins not caring if good investment or bad I just liked old coins shortly after I want to learn the first coin dealer to me if I trusted the red book I was stupid and would go broke I use the pcgs app regularly and member of ngc 2 years I watch auctions alot no coin sells for its guide value I own a number 1 ranked 10 oz wedge tail eagle sets on ngc site but no value  of set or each I asked a local coin man here to look at this and several others coins as nice as the 20 cent piece pictured he told me I had trash so should this be trashed how if this is a trash coin I don't understand 

The minute I win at auction I am happy the day it comes in the mailbox I am happy out here in Hawaii there is No one to asks advise then I travel ask advise have not had much sucess join ngc put into sets still can't get value of there graded coins kilo wedge tail eagle with all others coins for that year all denomination of that coin have trust issues just to send in to may not get back same 300 lbs of ungraded old coins feel like I should just bag up throw overboard with other end tied to my leg

Best pics of them are screen shots guess they won't upload those type files coins are locked in a bank vault at this time will buy a coin microscope and get them out to photo 

On 10/14/2023 at 10:49 PM, Dragon Mike said:

Sorry to waist everyone's time to dumb to know how 

Would any one advise if I should have this coin graded